Contents

Plot

Emerald starts his first battle in the first room of the Battle Pike, with a Kirlia and a Dusclops as his opponents. To combat his opponents, Emerald sends out his first two Pokémon, a Rapidash and Starmie. Emerald's Pokémon leap to attack, only for Rapidash to be frozen by Dusclops and Starmie put to sleep by Kirlia. Todd Snap is horrified to see that Emerald has already been defeated, but Emerald tells him not to worry. Rapidash thaws itself out of its ice prison with a Flame Wheel, while Starmie wakes itself up with its held Lum Berry. Next, he commands Rapidash and Starmie to use Double-Edge and Thunderbolt, which defeat their opponents and give Emerald the victory.

While Emerald runs off to the next room, Todd notes that Emerald's team is great against status ailments, as Rapidash can free itself from being frozen with Flame Wheel, and Starmie holds the Lum Berry as well as having Natural Cure as its Ability. Todd begins wondering who the person is that sent Emerald to the Battle Frontier as well as supplying him Pokémon. Meanwhile, Emerald chooses his next room, but instead of another virtual Trainer, he finds a man just walking by and commenting on the weather. Lucy explains to a confused reporter that the Battle Pike is a test of luck, which means that there are a variety of events that can happen depending on whichever door he chooses. Due to this, very lucky Trainers can challenge Lucy without having taken a single hit while unlucky Trainers will be completely exhausted.

Time passes, and Emerald reaches the 42nd room in the third set. There, he encounters a wild Milotic, which he simply runs away from instead of battling. Confused, Todd asks Emerald why he completed the room by running away instead of battling his opponent. Emerald explains that since it was a wild Pokémon battle he can run away and avoid any damage if he's fast enough. Emerald explains that in the Battle Pike, taking routes that help avoid fighting is the wisest choice. Emerald reveals that in each hall, there are maids that give hints as to what he will have to face in the room they stand in front of.

Emerald starts the fourth set, where he encounters a maid who tells him that she heard whispering coming from the door to the right. With this hint, Emerald correctly guesses that it must mean that the room contains a Tag Battle. Emerald enters the room and is challenged by two virtual Trainers who send out a Raichu and Fearow to battle. Emerald continues through more rooms with hints given to him by the maids.

Lucy praises Emerald's skill in predicting which door to choose while only being given vague hints. She goes on to the say that the Battle Pike doesn't just simply test pure luck, it also tests if a Trainer has what it takes to draw luck towards them. She then leaves, as Todd watches as Emerald approaches the next maid. The maid tells Emerald that all three doors will lead to a horrifying event, signifying that it leads to the battle against Lucy herself. Emerald enters the room, and finds Lucy waiting there with her Milotic, Shuckle, and Seviper. Emerald immediately sends out Blissey to use a Seismic Toss on Seviper.

Meanwhile, outside the Battle Factory, Scott, Greta, Tucker, and Brandon invite Noland to come with them and watch Lucy's battle with Emerald. Noland refuses the offer, as he's busy checking something. Noland goes back to his computer and notices that the number of rental Pokémon is off. He finds out that there are no records of the Sceptile that Emerald used against him at all. As he wonders if someone broken into the management room, an unseen person strikes Noland from behind.